That was the case for more than 300 students at the Dreyfoos School of the Arts, who got a grand stage to perform their holiday concert Tuesday night thanks to Palm Beach author James Patterson.

The man who penned "Along Came a Spider" and "Kiss the Girls" paid $25,000 to rent the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts for the evening.

Although the students are used to performing in their own auditorium, which seats about 600 people, Patterson said the students deserved a grand venue so that more people could hear the performance.

"It's just stunning how good these kids are," Patterson told WPBF 25 News. "This is one of the treasures of Palm Beach County. It's just a great, great, great thing. Hopefully, we'll be able to do it in future years so everybody can come."

The students said they were grateful for Patterson's generosity.

"I'm very grateful, for sure, that he's giving musicians the opportunity to showcase themselves to the whole community, and hopefully it can spread and this school can become better known," 12th grade student Ben Batalle said.